She attacked me bit by bit, each word and gestured another jab, but unfortunately, I no longer had the strength to fight back.

When I finally got home, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I turned to him, my voice flat but sharp. “Orion, do you still have Marigold in your heart?”

His response was quick, defensive. “How could that be? It happened so long ago.”

I stared at him, my pulse steady but my heart heavy. “You can’t keep accusing me like this. Don’t make things difficult for me, or we won’t even be friends anymore.”

He flinched as if I had struck him, his usual calm demeanor cracking.

“Then why are you so worked up?” His hands spread in mock innocence. “I didn’t do anything wrong. You were the one who started this as soon as you got back. Fine, since you're pregnant, I won’t argue anymore.”

But the words felt like empty air to me. This wasn’t about the pregnancy. It was about everything else that had been building up.

I opened my mouth to speak, to say what I’d been holding back, but before I could, my words were drowned out by the ringing of his phone.

A woman’s frantic voice came through the speaker. “Orion! Someone’s following me downstairs! I’m scared, can you call the police?”

His expression immediately shifted from defensive to concerned. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there right away.”

Without a second thought, he grabbed his coat and dashed out the door, leaving me behind once more.

In the days that followed, it became a pattern. Every time Orion came home, a phone call from Marigold would pull him away. Whether it was changing light bulbs, looking for her cat, or some work-related matter, he was always gone before I could even try to speak to him.

Until one evening, after yet another phone call, Marigold finally couldn’t hold back. She sent me a message, her words dripping with uncertainty:

[Lucinda, what should I do? Orion seems to still have me in his heart.]

I smiled, the bitterness curling in my chest. I didn’t respond immediately, letting the silence hang for a moment longer. Then, with a calm I didn’t feel, I typed back:

[That’s great. As long as you can get him to sign the divorce agreement, you’ll be Mrs. Steele in the future.]

Recently, I’d heard that Marigold had become too busy, and Orion had been staying home for longer stretches. That evening, he went all out and personally cooked a whole table of dishes I didn’t even like, all to coax me into eating.

“Honey,” he said softly, setting the plate down in front of me. “Now that the months are advancing, you need to keep up your nutrition. If you’re not feeling well, I’ll hire a nanny. I might be busy during this time and won’t be able to take care of you like this every day.”

I looked at him, but my heart felt heavy. “It doesn’t matter,” I replied, my voice flat, “You don’t need to take care of me in the future.”

I wasn’t just speaking to him; I was speaking to myself.

He pulled me into his arms then, his hand sliding over my belly. “Why? Are you still upset? You’re my first wife. If I didn’t love you, why would I have married you?”

The words were smooth, practiced—a half-truth wrapped in a lie. It was the kind of thing Orion was best at.

I pushed him away slightly, my frustration bubbling over. “Is this all just to fool your mother? Does it even matter who the child’s father is?” I snapped.

At the beginning, when Marigold went abroad, I was adamant that the two of them had no further contact. My mother-in-law was always fond of me, and Orion had married me because of her approval.

Orion chuckled lightly, trying to brush it off. “What are you talking about? My mom and I are both looking forward to the baby’s arrival.”

But he didn’t finish, because his phone began vibrating again.

Guilty, he glanced at the screen before quickly slipping it into his pocket.

“Orion, can you just stay for once?” I asked, my voice faltering as I tried to hold on to him.

He rushed into the bedroom, pulling on his coat. “I’ve got an emergency at the company. I have to leave now. I probably won’t be back tonight. Don’t wait up for me.”

The door clicked shut behind him, and I sat there in the silence, the weight of his absence pressing down on me. I stood up, pulling open the closet doors, grabbing the photo albums, the keychain, the pillow with his initials printed on it—the small things that once meant so much.

I hovered over them for a long moment, before finally throwing everything into the trash can, one item at a time. What I had once cherished now felt like shards of glass piercing my heart.

In a daze, I scrolled through my phone, searching for a number I hadn’t dialed in ages. I found it. Without thinking, I called.

The phone rang, and when it connected, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened, and all I could do was cry.

The voice on the other end was soft, almost a whisper, “Don’t cry, Lucinda. Mom will be there soon. Everything will be alright once Mom is there.”

That night, Orion didn’t come home.

Instead, I received a few photos from Marigold. Orion was slightly drunk, slumped on a couch in her house. His eyes were unfocused, and the background was unmistakably hers.

[Lucinda, thank you so much for taking care of Orion all this time.]

[Does he like to drink so much in front of you?]

The pain in my chest wouldn’t stop, but I managed to type out a response, [Of course not, he loves you the most. Have you signed the agreement?]

A few moments later, she sent me a picture—a close-up of Orion’s signature on the divorce papers.

[Signed quickly. I’ve already mailed the original to you.]

I felt a strange mix of relief and emptiness. [Okay, that's good.]

Without thinking twice, I immediately called the hospital to schedule an induced abortion. But as I was about to hang up, I received another call.

“Are you Mrs. Steele? Mr. Steele is in the hospital due to an alcohol allergy. Please come immediately.”

For a split second, I hesitated. But with everything happening, I couldn’t help but go straight to the hospital instead.

As I walked upstairs, I ran into Orion and Marigold smoking downstairs. They were laughing, carefree, but when their eyes met mine, their laughter faltered.

“Honey, what are you doing here?” Orion’s voice was full of guilt and panic, his eyes wide, almost like a child caught in a lie.

“Can’t I come?” I asked flatly, my voice colder than I intended.

“No, it’s not that. I just meant—it's not convenient for you to come with your big belly...” He glanced nervously at Marigold behind him. “I’m allergic, but fortunately, Marigold was here to help me.”

I raised my hand to stop his explanations. “Next time, don’t have the hospital call me.”

Marigold piped in, “It’s a good thing Orion’s fine. He’s just greedy and insists on drinking even though he knows he can’t handle it.”

Orion, defiant, argued back, “I can drink! My tolerance has improved!”

Their bickering might’ve seemed like an argument, but I saw it for what it was—an intimate, unspoken understanding between them.

In that moment, I felt a pang of sympathy for Marigold. Wasn’t she the proud Orion who once held her head high? Now, she was just as tangled in insecurities and desires as the rest of us.

Since we were going to divorce, I decided to fulfill my last duty as a wife and accompany Orion to his final check-up.

The hospital was crowded, especially on the weekend. The elevator was packed, and as we ascended, more and more people squeezed in. I ended up pressed against the back wall, feeling the air growing thin.

Marigold, as usual, clung to Orion’s side, grabbing the corner of his shirt. I could barely breathe.

“Don’t squeeze in... I’m…” My voice was weak, barely a whisper.

Someone stepped on my foot, and another person’s arm brushed against my stomach. Panic started to rise, my breath shallow and uneven.

“Orion…” I tried to call out, but my voice was too faint.

“Orion, I feel... uncomfortable. Can we get off at the next floor?”

“Okay, okay, we’ll get off right away.”

The elevator doors opened, and Orion, without even glancing back, walked out with Marigold, leaving me behind.

“Orion, don’t go.”

The last bit of strength left me, and I collapsed.

Someone nearby finally noticed. “Everyone, don’t push! There’s a pregnant woman here! Call a doctor!”

In the blur of everything, I heard my phone buzzing on the floor. My mother’s name flashed on the screen.

Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart aching for the comfort of my mother. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again.

I barely registered what happened next. I was lifted onto a cart by medical staff, passing right by Orion.

He was facing the other way, speaking to Marigold, unaware that the woman in distress was me.

Marigold, ever the opportunist, deliberately asked Orion, “I heard a pregnant woman fainted. Let’s go see if it’s Lucinda. I’m really worried.”

Orion, oblivious to my presence, smiled softly and said, “She’s fine. Lucinda is strong, she’ll be okay. Let’s take care of you first, and then we can check on her later.”

He gently supported Marigold, guiding her in the opposite direction.

I let out a bitter laugh, my heart breaking all over again. Orion, you’ll never have the chance to see our child. Not anymore.

The obstetrician and gynecologist was visibly frantic, “The fetus is already eight months old, and the mother is bleeding heavily. We need all obstetricians on call for a joint rescue. The child is at high risk of being lost!”

I gripped her hand weakly, my voice barely a whisper. “Doctor... There’s no need. Induce labor for me.”

My stubborn insistence, combined with the urgency of the situation, led to me being rushed to the operating room. As my consciousness began to fade, I heard Orion’s frantic voice from the door.

“That’s my wife and child! Why are you inducing labor?”